


Crystal Clear

by BarbarianBeauty



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Human AU, Ignores era typical homophia, Musicals, Past Pearl/Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Rivals to Lovers, Roarin' 20's AU, Rose Dies pretty immediately, Slow Burn, but yall already know that lets be real here, ignores era typical sexism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2020-11-24 14:54:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20909483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarbarianBeauty/pseuds/BarbarianBeauty
Summary: Crystal Films and Diamond productions. Where to start? Well…When Crystal Films suffers a shake up, They start looking to make a new film in joint with Diamond Productions to get back on their feet. And that puts you in a leading role beside Spinel, Rose's former co-star. Both of you talented singers, dancers, and actresses, now you have to manage to get a film on screen, without somehow killing each other in the process...Spinel x Reader, 20's AU!





	1. A Star is Born (1937)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, Starlight!
> 
> Warning, this Prolouge is looong, and doesn't even mention Spinel yet, but I wanted to go ahead and cover my bases, without writing an entire fic just about GETTING to where you meet Spinel. This will mostly focus on your career, after the death of Rose Quartz. This may be updated in future, and if that happens, I will let you know!! Each chapter will be named after a different film from the 20's and 30's, because I'm gay like that.

A Star is Born (1937) Starring Janet Gaynor, Fredric March, and directed by William A. Wellman

Crystal Films and Diamond productions. Where to start? Well… 

Diamond productions is the oldest film studio around. At least, you think it is. Anyone else competing for that title has somehow slid under the radar. Started near the turn of the century with some of the newest equipment, the ‘Diamonds’ as the ladies were called very quickly found themselves rising to new heights when it came to recognition. Before you could blink, they had an empire, practically. Constantly making film after film, always with some new starlet, always some dramatic load of crock you’d seen a thousand times. Why the hell were people eating this up!?

Oooh, but then the game changer happened. Little “Pink” came into the picture. The Baby Diamond was nothing if not captivating, and as soon as she could walk and talk, she was in front of that camera. A prodigy, some called her. A darling! A star! But…that always only lasts so long now, doesn’t it? You remember…being young, staring up at the screen in wonder at the film in front of you, watching as Rose sang, and danced, and acted her heart out…

_You _wanted to do that…

_You _wanted to be up on that screen, in the pretty dresses, and the bright colors…you wanted it more than you could even begin to say…it…never seemed to matter who else could ever be on that screen because…whenever Rose was there, she was all you could see. She really was…a star.

And you wanted to be a star, too…

So, you started taking singing lessons. You started pouring your time, and energy into learning the dances from different films, seeing them over and over again, and even bringing a writing pad with you into the cinema such that you could write down steps you were having trouble with. You performed them, on crowded streets on Saturday mornings for pocket change from passersby, and for talent shows, and birthdays, the odd vaudeville show that had an act fall through…you put yourself out there. You practiced. You worked!! You got your first set of tap shoes when you were ten, and your first set of pointe slippers when you were twelve. There was no one who could tell you, you weren’t put on this earth to perform and entertain.

Everything you did, you did yourself. You made your own costumes from whatever was around, through you nearly got disowned when you used your mother’s nice drapes for a show outfit. You taught yourself different steps, even made some up, chased after other performers for any scraps of information they could give you…

A prodigy some called you. A darling. A star…!

It was when you were in your later years of high school that…apparently, Rose had had quite enough of Diamond productions. It was all over the headlines. Photos snapped of her as she was leaving the premises, with a tall, thin woman at her side…

“I was a child star,” she said “but I’m not a child anymore! I’ve begged and pleaded with my mothers for years to give me the recognition I deserve as an actress, and they refused. So, I’m charting my own course!” And with that…the Diamond Darling disappeared for a little while. Diamond Productions went all but silent. A long gap occurred, no films were released, not even a breath of a casting call, or table reading…

Until out of nowhere, about a year late, Rose reappeared. Out of the blue, she was stepping off a train with a whole new crew, a new style, a new look, and an announcement.

She would be opening her own studio.

Crystal Films.

Did she know anything about running a company? No. Did she know anything about making films? Not really? But that’s what the year had been for. She’d pulled together a whole host of people who poured off the train with her that day, all ready to take center stage, behind the curtain and in front of it.

Pearl, her most trusted confidant, would be going from a humble position as a secretary to one of directorial and executive duty.

Garnet, she promised, was a fantastic choreographer, specializing in couple’s routines.

Bismuth built some of the most elaborate sets you had ever seen!

Lapis was their make up artist, Amethyst was a former show girl, Peridot was a reel specialist…

And…apparently, her new partner, one Greg ‘Universe’ as he was called. Hand him an instrument, and he could play it. Apparently, she just found him…playing on the street one day, and the rest was history…

…you wanted her to walk down your street, someday…

And the best part? Every single one of them could work backstage, act, sing, and dance. They were the whole package, coming in every shape, and size, ready to step into the lime light.

You must have watched that news reel six or seven times…seeing her step from the train was dazzling, removing her sun hat, and motioning for all of her brand-new friends to step off and pose with her.

“We’re here to change the face of film!” She announced, as camera flashed, and reporters clamored to hear every word. “No more dramas that last forever, no more dull, and dark, we’re representing the modern age, with modern stars! We can do all that Diamonds can do and better. We’re here to prove it, too! We’re holding an open casting call-“

Your heart seized in your chest every time at those words, imagining what could be. You eyes must have been full of stars, seeing their new logo appear on the screen, a bright yellow star, with brilliant gem stones, and a rose, all around it…talk about poking the bear, huh? Well either way, you decided, right then, you couldn’t let this pass you by. You raced home from the cinema, pulled your train case and your trunk from the top shelf in the hall closet, and began packing everything up as quickly as you could.

At the racket, your mother came running up the stairs when she got home from work, still in her hospital fatigues, eyes wide, and concerned. “Oh my _stars,_ you nearly scared me out of my skin!!” She breathed, clutching at her chest. “What’s all this mess!? Planning a trip without me?” She was mostly teasing, but…her eyes held…something behind them. She knew this was coming eventually.

“Mama, Rose is BACK! And she’s having a casting call, and they’re taking everyone! All shapes, all sizes, all colors of the rainbow, and-!” Your mom hushed you as she threw her arms around you, forcing you to halt your mad packing for a minute. It was then that, finally, the emotional weight of what you were doing….sank in. you wrapped your own around her, the house around you silent as the grave. It was…the death of something, certainly…nothing…sad, nothing awful, but…perhaps it was the end of your childhood, with the winds shifting in your favor… either way, you clung to your mother. You held her tight, and she gripped at your blouse with all the love she had, stifling a soft sniffle.

“I…” She let a shuddering breath escape her. “I knew this was coming. I always did. You’re just shinin’ a little too bright for this sky, huh? Well…” She separated from you, and you could see how her eye make up was running just a bit. “Sit tight, let me grab you something…”

“Oh, mama, no, it’s alright! I don’t need anything!” But it was too late, she was getting you what you needed, and that was final. You bit your lips together, and looked around your room, which was starting to become bare…and felt the emotions swelling in your chest. You’d lived here your whole life…you sang into your hair brush in front of your vanity, by the window…and stared at the stars painted on your ceiling when you laid in bed at night… Laying in your bed, listening to your parents yell…which turned into sobbing…which turned into the sounds of a gramophone, somewhere, as they swayed back and forth, back and forth, trying to hold together…

“Ohh…don’t cry on my account, sweetness,” your mother interrupted, holding something in her hands with a fond smile. “Here…it’s not a whole lot, but…it’ll get you where you’re goin’. I’ve been…saving a little bit, here and there, since you turned ten…but I did take some out when you _ruined _my drapes.” The both of you shared a laugh, yours having a hiccupping hitch to it, you held out your hands, and she pressed it into them, biting her lips together as she left it behind.

…A hundred dollars?

_A hundred dollars._

“Mama, no!! No, I’m not-“

“Yes, you are!! How did you think you were gonna get there?!” Your mouth fell open, but no answer came out. You’d have walked there if you had to. Ridden in an animal cart. Hitch hiked, it didn’t matter, you’d have gotten there. “Exactly, you’re taking the train, you’re getting there safe, you had better call me when you do!!” She pulled you down by the sides of your head to kiss your forehead, and then patted your cheek to wipe away your tears. “Now, you finish packin’ up, I’ll call and get that train settled out…alright?”

“…I’ll pay you back, when I get there-!”

“No, the hell you wont! You are going to go, and be up on that screen…and when you’re acceptin’ that award, all I want is for you to say ‘Thank you mama!’ Everything else is up to you, understand?” You fell into her arms again, crying a little louder this time. You just…held on. You loved her so much… “Come on…you don’t have enough time for this…!” She reprimanded you, but there was no edge to her words. “We gotta get you to that train station now, don’t we?”

~~~~

The whistle blew, loud and hard as the last call for passengers rang from the platform. “…I guess that’s me…!” You breathed, as you hugged your mom tight a last time. You scooped up your bags, and went running for the train, waving good bye. “I love you!!”

“I love you too, my little sunshine! Go knock ‘em dead!”

You hurried to your seat, looking out the window to where your mother was on the platform…alone. A flash out doubt entered your mind. She looked…so small, now…you opened the window, and waved to her, as the train started to move, leaning out the window as you picked up steam, and got further and further away. She walked to the edge of the platform, still trying to be as close as she could before you eventually rounded a corner, and she was out of sight, leaving behind only the cool, crisp night air…

…ah, you were crying again…

~~~~

The month that followed your arrival was a whirlwind, and that was being nice about it. You found a cheap hotel, then a cheap apartment, then a little restaurant down the street, open all hours of the night. You called your mom nearly every night, and gushed to her about anything and everything, as the casting call crept closer and closer…

You were in the line for it for hours, with hundreds of other prospective big fish from little ponds, just like you…and you started getting in your own head about it, that was for sure. All of these people were the best of the best where they came from, right? So…what made you different? You really got in your head about it. You must have been slowly crawling to the front of the line for two or three hours, but it certainly didn’t feel like it. Before you knew it, a clipboard was being shoved into your hands, asking for you to fill out your name, birthday, stage name, agent name…you didn’t have an agent…was that going to be a problem? You scribbled something down, but your hands were shaking so bad, you didn’t know if they could even read it. Beneath it was the sheet music for your performance…

You stood outside the dark door that read ‘Audition Room entrance: Crystal Films Casting’, and stared, awe-struck for a few moments, before it opened, and your heart dropped from your chest.

That was Pearl. As in…as in Rose’s closest friend, Pearl!! As in-

“Your form please?”

“Huh?” You very wisely questioned.

“Ah, your form? With yo-“

“Right! Right, right, right, here you go!” Were you speaking too loud? You felt like you were speaking too loud. And you cut her off, that probably wasn’t good. You turned beet red as you slid the form from your piano music and handed it over. She scanned it for a moment, before giving you a sweet smile, and ushering you in. A sweet smile that you weren’t sure was 100 percent genuine.

Fuck.

Like…wow, honestly, what were you expecting? You were brought into a room with a piano, and a small stage. In front of which was a long table, with Garnet, Pearl, Bismuth, and…wow, Rose, herself…! A small note of surprise left your throat as you stared at them all, a bit shocked. Pearl was writing something, but you shuffled your way onto the center stage, heels clicking, and pulling Rose’s attention from her little conversation with Bismuth, for her eyes to fall squarely on you.

You opened your mouth to speak-

“What key?” Pearl asked from where she was writing. You didn’t say anything, which had her stop writing, and look up from the paper. “Sorry, what key?” She asked again, and you jolted. After stumbling through an answer (And you swear she rolled her eyes, but you couldn’t prove that), she passed the sheet down to where Rose sat.

“Oooh, wow…look at all this…” She was saying, shuffling through the sheets. “You dance, you sew, you sing…wow, really a Jack of all Trades huh?”

Your brain was fried.

This angel was speaking to you, your idol for so long was SPEAKING TO YOU-

“Y-yes! Ha, yeah, I sew- I taught myself…” You passed your piano music to where Greg sat at the piano, and he hummed in thought at your selection. It wasn’t good or bad, just a…hum. You didn’t like how that sounded.

“So! What will you be singing for us, then~?” Rose laced her fingers and rested her chin on them as she watched you shuffle back into place. You gave a nervous laugh.

“After you’ve gone, by Marion Harris.” Rose lit up a bit, and glanced to a couple of the other judges for their expressions before turning back to you.

“Whenever you’re ready!”

You turned to Greg, and gave a determined nod, taking a deep breath to steady yourself.

It came out shaky. Great Sign. Awesome Sign.

“Now won’t you listen deary,

While I say,

How can you tell me that you’ve

Gone away?

Don’t say that we must part,

Don’t break my achin’ heart-“

Sure, not the most ‘wow’ factor song, but it was one that you were sure you could do better than anyone else out there. One that you made yours every time you did it. There was no one else who could take it from you. And when you opened your eyes, it seemed as though all of theirs were on you. They all leaned forward to hear you, and you took that as a good sign. The last verse was always your favorite-

“There’ll come a time,

Now don’t forget it,

There’ll come a time when,

You’ll regret it,

Someday, blue and down-hearted,

You’ll long to be with me, right back where you started,

After I’ve gone,

After I’ve gone

Away…”

You listened to Greg play out the rest of the song, and the final chord resound before they politely clapped for you. You bowed appreciatively, before crossing the stage to shake Greg’s hand and retrieve your sheet music.

“Wonderful job, we’ll be in touch!!” Rose announced, as she finished writing her notes on the matter, and Pearl stood to usher in the next perspective auditioner.

You felt like your soul was about to leave your body at those words.

We’ll be in touch? As in… you get the job, in touch!? Or like…call-back in touch…?

~~~~

That was three years ago now…and…while you remembered it fondly, things were not so peachy keen as you thought they were going to be. You loved what you did, sure! And you loved your new home, and your new friends, but…well…

Here you were, at a wake.

You sat off to the side, legs crossed, looking around at all the others in dark clothing, and then back up to the front of the room, where a portrait of Rose was on display.

Greg sat in the front row, Pearl beside him with her head in her hands, Garnet beside her with a hand on Pearl’s back, all hung their heads low…

What would this mean for us now?

And especially Greg…your heart wept for him, as he cradled the little bundle in his arms tighter. Steven, his name was… Steven Quartz Universe…quite the big name for such a little guy…he was in a red onesie, and blanket, fast asleep against his father’s chest, with not a clue as to what was happening. This had all happened so quickly…

Rose couldn’t have been happier to be a mom…Greg couldn’t wait to be a dad! They had been so excited, and then…when the time came, something went…wrong. And it was either Steven, or Rose, and she…she chose Steven. She wanted him here more than anything, even if it meant…she wouldn’t be around to see it. She brought him into the world…just as she was leaving it, and…everything seemed just the tiniest bit…duller, since she left.

You guessed that’s what happened when a star died.

…You only hoped that didn’t mean the night sky went dark.


	2. Fashionable Fakers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following Rose 'Pink Diamond' Quartz's death, Crystal Films is trying to pick the pieces back up. Even if that means having you return to an old adversary...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Starlight!
> 
> Alright! First Chapter. I'll be honest, I started this, before the prologue, but I decided that it needed a little extra background, and it would be stronger for it. Pretty straight forward.

Fashionable Fakers (1923), Starring Johnnie Walker and J. Farrell MacDonald, Directed by William Worthington

“You’re. Kidding.” You muttered, crossing your arms over your chest and leaning against the door frame of the main office.

Pearl fiddled with the ends of her hair where she sat behind the desk, looking quite honestly…exhausted. “I’m…afraid not…it’s our only option right now. Everything else is taking too long in production, and-“

“So we run back to them, tails tucked between our legs!? Ugh, I don’t know about this, Pearly…this seems…rough.”

“I know! But trust me, in the wake of…” She bit her lips together and let her voice die in her throat, obviously realizing that if she were to continue…the end result might not be pretty. At this…you couldn’t help but soften, walking around behind the desk to place your hand on her shoulder. You both took a deep breath, and finally, she continued. “…In the wake of this…ah…shake up…we need stability. And they’re…nothing if not stable, financially, at least….”

“So…you want me to go knockin’ on the door of _Diamond Productions, _and…what, beg for us to do a joint feature? Why would they give in?” At this, got a rather…satisfied look on her face. You’d dare say it bordered on smug.

“Well…if I remember correctly…their productions have been billed below ours for _years. _Ever since…” She sighed, and deflated again… “Well…you know.” She gave you a sad smile, and then looked to the items littering the desk in front her, scattered in the midst of documentation this, and agreement that…photos of her.

Of…Rose.

You sank a bit to lay your head on hers, while you followed her gaze.

“What…are we ever going to do without her…?” She asked, picking up one of the nicer portraits that had been taken to examine. There Rose sat, bright eyed, and bushy tailed, a sweet smile on her lips where she sat lounged against a couch, quite obviously as happy and as proud as she had been in life…a beautiful gown, absolutely dripping with fringe cascaded over her…her hair was pulled back…you could see why it was one of Pearl’s favorites. You took a deep breath.

“…if this works…what would you want to have made? Assuming the _ever _so illustrious _Diamonds_ don’t take over the process?” You asked, pulling her attention away from her memories, away from the loss, in order to focus on you. “Whatever you want, I’ll pitch, just say the word!”

“Well…I was hoping you would pitch it…as the leading lady.” She looked at you with a sparkle in her eye, while your jaw dropped. “And…I’d want it to be a love story, I think…a musical, obviously, since that’s our strong suit. Not to mention, those always sell the most tickets-” You interrupted her with a shake of your head.

“Me? I haven’t led anything here!”

“Then you’ll start now!”

“But how am _I _going to convince _them_ to not only not kill me right there and then, but also make a _film with us.”_ You asked, shaking your head and starting to wring your hands.

“You do exactly what you did in your audition for us! You charm them!! Make it so they can’t say no!! Don’t worry about any of the firm details…just get us a negotiation session, and I can do the rest from there.” She promised you, patting your hand affectionately.

“…You’re sure about this?” You asked her, voice tender, and soft now. “….You’re sure you want me leading this?”

“I’m positive. We need someone who’s not…directly tied to us, but isn’t from outside the company either…you said it yourself, you haven’t led anything yet, so your name isn’t as…ahh…you know…synonymous with ours.”

You couldn’t help but smile a bit, and wrap your arms around her where she sat. She tensed…then slowly wrapped hers back around you. “Whatever you need Pearly, I can do…buuuuuut that leaves one last thing,” You pull back to look at her “how am I supposed to get a meeting with them, anyway? I can’t just…you know, waltz right in! Representative from Crystal Films!! I’d get my ass beaten.”

She stifled a laugh and nodded. “Well, lucky for you, I’ve got that covered…”

You see, the diamonds are nothing if not…cordial. Every year, for their anniversary, they host a very large, very extravagant party. It’s a chance to show off everything that makes them worthy of being called a “Diamond” production. New stars are introduced, new films announced, so on, and so forth, so of course invitations are sent to the competition, in order to rub their faces in the empire that the three women had. Were they particularly warm to those that they invited? Not at all. But none of those guests ever seemed to mind much, seeing how they were in the presence of some of the most influential women in the film industry.

“Well,” Pearl was saying “I wasn’t sure they were going to send one this year with…all that’s happened, but…” She opened one of the drawers in her desk, and removed a finely crafted, embossed, ivory ticket, and handed it to you. “This came, just a few days ago…it’s what gave me this idea in the first place.”

“You are hereby invited- Hereby, really?- to the Anniversary ball of Diamond Productions…” You read aloud, trailing off as your eyes went over the details of the event. No getting in without the ticket, obviously. The dress called for Evening formal, and you imagined that only the best would do. And it was a week from now…you could make that happen. Hell, for Pearl and the others? You’d make anything happen. And you know what? You were gonna be the best looking one there, even if it killed you!! And…well, to be fair? It might. But they didn’t need to know that. You just needed to be able to show up, and command attention.

“…Are you going to be able to be ready by then…? She looked up to you, brow furrowing in concern.

“Of course I am. I’ll be more than just ready, Pearls. I’ll be the best in the room.” You gave her another hug, gingerly slipping the ticket into your purse before making your way to the door. “Let me know if there’s…anything else you need. Anything at all.” You promised, hand on the door knob, where she still sat. She gave you a weak smile, and ran her hand through her hair while you exited the room, pretending you didn’t hear the soft, shuttering sob that came after you closed the door.

~~~~

Alright, maybe you bit off a bit more than you could chew. Maaaybe this wasn’t the best idea….but too late now! It was currently five p.m., the day before the party, and you were sitting hunched over a sewing machine. Should you have used the shiny material? Prooobably not. It was harder to sew. And you wanted a fitted cut, that boxy look that was in right now just wasn’t flattering on you. And you wanted it long. Man, you really screwed yourself on this one huh? Well…nearly done!

You sat back and rubbed at your eyes freeing your project from inside of the machine and standing to put it on your mannequin. Alright, looked good, looked good…maybe take in a little bit here-

“Hey, you need any help in here?” A voice called from the doorway. You turned with a bright smile to see the face of your roommate, Lapis.

“Weeell…if you don’t mind lending an extra hand?” You asked sheepishly, trying to look your absolute sweetest as she laughed a bit and rolled her eyes. She crossed the threshold of your bedroom, to where you were messing with your mannequin. “I’m going to try this on…would you mind pinning where I need to, once it’s on? I’m worried it’s going to be a little loose around my hips…” You fretted, running your hand over the shimmering fabric, before looking back to your friend, who simply laughed, and gave you a nod, before you scurried into the bathroom to slip it on.

You closed the door, and slipped out of your day dress, taking a moment to examine yourself in the mirror. Your hands ran over expanses of skin, over small blemishes, over stretch marks. You wouldn’t say you were necessarily…insecure, you liked being in the spot light too much to call it that, but…there were things you would change, given the ability…wasn’t everyone like that…? You hand trailed up to your face now, and then to your hair-

There came a rapping at the door-

“Hey, are you alright in there? You didn’t drown in the fabric, did you?” Lapis called, and you snapped from your stupor.

“Yes! I mean no! I mean- I’m fine, hang on!!” You scrambled into the dress, getting it zipped in the back and then slipping out to show your creation to your friend.

“Hooooly shit…” She breathed, looking you over.

“Weeeell…? What do you think?”

“…this took you a _week?”_

“Mmhm! Haven’t put it down since Pearl gave me the invite!” You did a little spin, showing off the gown. Lapis just stared, shaking her head a bit in disbelief.

“Damn…I don’t think it needs anymore work, honestly…” she inspected the gossamer material with the trips of her fingers, which prompted you to smooth a hand over your hip with a faint blush over your cheeks.

“D’aww, you’re just sayin’ that…” You insisted, moving to look in the mirror. You really did look good…the fit was nice, and it hugged your waist and hips, before flaring open towards the knee. Every time you moved, you dazzled, sending light dancing across your form. You lightly fingered the lacy sleeve, before looking to Lapis. “You really think it looks good…? If you think it’s done, then it’s done.”

She scrutinized you for a moment, examining the hem, and then how it fit before giving you a thumbs up. “I think it looks great…” She smiled, looking over your shoulder in the mirror as she helped you unzip the top.

“Ha, think I’ll dazzle the diamonds?”

She laughed at that and gave a bit of a shrug. “I think you’ll be the best dressed in the room, that’s for sure.” You blushed at that, before making a bit of a face, and sheepishly looking back at your roommate.

“…Think they’ll notice if my diamond earrings are fake…?”

~~~~

The next evening, you stepped from the cab that dropped you about a half block from the entrance to the party. Your dress in order, hair styled, make up done, and with the ticket in your hand, you walked with confidence and vibrato to the front door. You flashed your best winning smile, and handed over the ticket, to which the doorman bowed, and welcomed you into the large meeting hall.

Extravagant wasn’t a kind enough word.

You weren’t sure what was, at this point. It was…beautiful, elegant, truly captivating…the hall was decorated in silvers and golds, with large pennants that hung from the ceiling to the floor. Above the dance floor was perhaps the biggest functioning chandelier you’d ever seen, and couples were very eagerly taking to the floor already as a live string ensemble played on a raised platform on the right most wall.

“May I?” A gentleman at the front asked as you passed, holding out a hand for the small, fur shrug you wore over your dress.

“Oh, why thank you!” You happily unclipped it, and allowed it to practically drip from your bare arms. You could already feel eyes on you, and if you were honest, you were soaking it up. You felt beautiful. You felt enticing. With a sway of your hips, you set to exploring the space, deciding that the more eyes you had on you, the better. You sashayed through the thin curls of smoke from cigarette holders, as though the seas were parting, just for you.

No sign of any of the diamonds yet, hmm…they probably were waiting to make an entrance, you expected. So, you bided your time. You flirted and flitted around the room, feeding from the attention it awarded you. Finally, growing tired of mingling and mindless talk, you made your way to the refreshments table, which was just as grand as the rest of the display. You hummed as you popped a chocolate into your mouth, and gladly took a flute of champagne from a passing waiter. Even if nothing else came from this night, at least the food was a major plus…

“Well, you certainly seem to be enjoying yourself.” A voice said from beside the table, drawing your eyes from where you were admiring the displays of various treats, and coming rest on the source of said noise. It was a young woman, perhaps about your age, maybe a year older, leaning against the wall in a fitted suit with the suit jacket tossed over her arm. She was just pulling out a cigarette, and placing it between her teeth, though she didn’t light it. She offered one to you, but you very gently turned her down. “Suit yourself.” Funny…she looked…oddly familiar, though you couldn’t quite place her…then again. Pretty much everyone here looked familiar…the difference was, you could place them, what film they were in, or what studio they were from…for her, that didn’t click.

She had long, magenta hair, what was in waves around her shoulders, and hung close to her face. She looked…rather bored, in all honestly. Perhaps tired was a better word. Either way, whatever was happening here didn’t seem to interest her much. You were about to zone out again, maybe have another chocolate or two, when she finally spoke.

“Quite the party, huh? The Diamonds sure do know how to throw a shindig…guess it comes with the territory, you can’t just talk big, you gotta be big too.” You nodded your agreement, deeming this stranger to be worth enough of your time to commit to standing beside her to talk. But…this brought you to perhaps the question that could make or break a new connection…

“I’m…so sorry, but you look familiar…what’s your name…? What studio are you with?” To your relief, she didn’t seem irked by the question, but not exactly thrilled to be a nameless face in your book.

“Spinel. I’m with Diamond Productions. Have been since I was little. You might know me from-“

“-From Rose’s Garden!! Yes, of course I remember now!!” She practically seemed to flinch at the name. “Oooh, of course, how could I forget! You had those cute heart shaped buns, and the big smile, and you always had a joke-“ She rolled her eyes so hard you swore you heard them rattling around in her skull.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, thanks or whatever…What company are you with?” She cut you off rather loudly, talking over you for a few seconds before it evened out. Anything for a change of topic then, hm?

“I’m with Crystal Films!” You boasted, rather proud of that fact. It was the moment after, when you looked back to Spinel that you realized…this was not a good fact in her book.

“Oh, gee, Crystal Films huh? Wooow…so, what have you starred in?” She quipped, finally taking a lighter from her pocket and aggressively setting fire to the stick between her lips.

…Did her eyes look watery…?

“Oh, well uh…nothing yet…that’s sort of why I’m here tonight-“

“Well damn, a real Ethel Barrymore then, huh? What, _Rose _couldn’t be bothered to send anyone worth more of her time?!”

Wait, did she not know-?

Before you could open your mouth to respond one way or the other, (though your instinct was leaning into anger), the music swelled exponentially, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

The Diamonds had arrived at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And scene!
> 
> Did you catch my singin' in the rain reference? Oh, there will be more, you bet your asses. I love that movie! Hopefully the next chapter will come just as smoothly, seeing how I already know how things are going to be playing out...
> 
> Until then, Starlight!


	3. The Empire of the Diamonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally meet the illustrious Diamonds, now, if only you can get them to agree to what you need...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Starlight!
> 
> This chapter got LOOOOONG! I was hoping to have another scene in there, but it was getting to the point where I'd rather just split it up and either add to the scene, if it's not long enough, or let it stand alone, a shorter chapter, with the hopes of getting more out sooner, we'll see.
> 
> Either way, enjoy!

The Empire of the Diamonds (1920), Starring Robery Elliot and Lucy Fox, and directed by Leonce Perret

In the moment that you turned your head to look where the commotion was gathering, Spinel slipped away, making you look around only to find her retreating towards the front of the crowd. You grumbled a bit, and stomped your foot, but decided to leave it for now in order to find a better vantage point. With your height? There was no way you were going to be able to see the diamonds from here. You wormed your way back to one of the pillars and, as inconspicuously as you could, stepped onto the raised base just in time to see a young woman in yellow come prancing to the French doors.

She was tall, and slim, with a dress practically made of nothing but taffeta and chiffon. Hm. Lots of substance to her, wasn’t there? “Everyone, behold!” She announced, raising her arms dramatically into the air, with such reverence you weren’t sure if she was introducing a woman or a goddess. Perhaps…she was like a goddess, to her. “The daunting beauty and elegance that is, the Yellow Diamond herself, Jaune Diamindis!” With that, she opened the French doors, bowing deeply as the woman emerged.

She was tall, and strong, with sharp, elegant features that looked to be carved from Michelangelo’s favored marble. Her eyes were piercing, and they scanned the crowd with an analytical gaze that you swore went straight through you. Short blonde hair came to the smallest of peaks, just above her forehead, framing her face with gold. Her dress was…admittedly simple, for a diamond, but it was what it meant that stood out. It was Greco-Roman in appearance, that had been making a comeback lately, and she was primarily known for her early roles in historical drama. The fabric draped around her, simultaneously giving the beauty of the Greek goddess, with the terror of its most fearsome warriors. She extended a hand to the crowd, displaying a golden cuff with her name sake stone embedded into the wrist. Finally, she stopped on the left most side, and turned her attention to the doors. The young woman from before came scurrying- yes, scurrying, you think that was the only word for the strange half run half leap she made to the woman’s side.

The room once again fell silent.

Another lady in blue came to stand before the French doors, hands clasped before her, and hair falling into her face. She wore a very simple, and demure dress, one reminiscent of the romantic era ballet dancers. “Everyone,” You had to strain to hear her “Prepare yourselves emotionally-“ now that was a little dramatic, you think- “For the overpowering elegance that is Blue Diamond, Miss Neela Diamindis.” She bowed her head as the door opened, and The woman stepped out. Something in your heart…ached horribly. In an art nouveau dress that would make Alphonse Mucha weep, she stepped into the light of the ball room. Her dress flowed like a river from her shoulders to her feet, golden leaves braided into her hair, and a blue ribbon around her waist. However…when she looked out to the crowd…you could see that this was not where she wanted to be. Despite who knew how much make up, and for it being immaculate, there were still heavy bags visible beneath her eyes, and they were still red and puffy from what seemed to be a very recent cry.

…It seemed Pearl wasn’t the only one, struggling with Rose being gone, hm?

She came to Jauna’s side, extending her opposing arm, and revealing a spiraling band around her wrist, with a blue diamond in the center.

And finally, it was time.

The final woman was…different. She had this…intense smile on her face, that didn’t at all meet her eyes. Er…eye. You could only see one. The other was hidden behind a diamond shaped patch, which left you wondering if that was necessary, or cosmetic. She stood on point, arms extended, looking…nearly like a mannequin. Something about her gave you the creeps. “To those in attendance of our Anniversary ball, White Diamond, Gwynette Diamindis, is here to grace you with her presence.”

…huh. To the point then, hm?

She very delicately opened the doors, and stepped aside, still with that smile on her face. And out emerged White Diamond herself. Even knowing who she was, and what Rose had told you about her…you couldn’t help but… _stare_. She was tall, and Elegant. She was in an Art Deco White dress, criss-crossed with lines of silver and gold all the way to the floor where it split open at the knee. She was the eldest of the diamonds by a number of years, but she certainly didn’t look very old. Her lips were pressed together in a thin, glossed smile, and her eyes closed with a silver sheen, as though she had no need to look where she was going. She took her place behind Jauna and Neela, extending both arms above her head as the crowd parted for them to begin walking. All but one. Spinel.

You immediately made a bit of a face. Was she going to cause a scene? She seemed like the type to pull something-

Oh. No, that wasn’t the case.

Instead, she first bowed, and then held out her hand. “My Diamonds,” she said “thank you for having me.” Yellow took hers first, and she kissed the back of it lightly. Then Blue, then White, before she bowed again and stepped out of their way, Blue giving her a sweet, sad smile as she passed.

Wow, so she wasn’t kidding. That wasn’t just being part of Diamond Productions, that was being in the family. She was…less of an employee, and more of a daughter to them, it looked like. ….maybe niece was a better term? Either way, she followed behind them as they made their way to the head of the large banquet table, Jaune on the left, Gwynette in the middle, and Neela on the right. Spinel took her seat to Yellow’s left, and then the other patrons slowly began to trickle to where they were placed. You looked around a bit, wondering if you should chance it, or skip the meal all together, instead opting to be in the restroom, talking over your pitch for once the meal ended. …you should at least see where you’re seated, shouldn’t you?

You very gently lifted the end of your dress, quickly scanning the table for the open seat with ‘Crystal Films’ on it. Not in the middle….not at the end…they wouldn’t just…not give you a seat, right? No matter how vindictive they wanted to be, that was too rude for them! It was then you finally saw it. The last open seat. People were staring now. You turned bright red, and quickly made your way over…

To Blue Diamond’s left-hand seat.

You shyly cleared your throat and pulled out the seat as quietly as you could, plopping into it, and trying to make yourself as small as possible. Spinel wasn’t even trying to hide the smug grin she was giving you across the table. What a shame this table was too long for you to kick her under…

The room was silent, then White stood, and clapped her hands together.

“Thank you all so much for being in attendance this evening, taking time away from such busy schedules, and large studios-“ She began, garnering all of the attention to her end of the table. But quickly, your attention was pulled from the generalized welcoming, towards where the young women from before were standing, huddled towards the corner and talking. Funny…that one that introduced Gwynette was a lot…different now. Her body language was more relaxed, and her eye bright, and-

Your thoughts were interrupted by Gwynette clapping her hands, twice, quite loudly. At this, the women sprung into action, each with a bottle of champagne, circling the table to fill glasses. And the last of the three was doing that…odd…look again. Either way, that was the cue for people to begin socializing, as they waited for the first of the courses to be brought out.

You refused to look at your right, at first. You know exactly who’s sitting there, and you have no intentions on opening that can of worms right this second. You shot a glance to Spinel, seeing that she was engaging in…some kind of conversation with Jauna, the diamond resting her chin on the back of her hand, and nodding as Spinel spoke. Maybe you could get a course or two in, enjoy for a minute, see who was sitting on your other side-

“So…you are the representative from Rose’s studio, hm…?”

Fuck. Your. Luck.

You swallowed hard, and turned to face the youngest of the…well…youngest remaining of the three diamonds.

“Yes ma’am…I’m ah…I’m one of their actresses, as well as a hand with the costumes…we all work both…front of house, and back of house!” She raised an eyebrow at your terminology. “S-sorry! Behind the scenes, and in front of the camera, I mean-!”

“Ah…so you come from theater, do you…?” You nodded, cheeks a flush. “…I see.”

Crap. Was that good, or bad?! UGH, why was everyone so non-committal?!

“Y-yes! I grew up doing theater! Rose was a very big inspiration to be, as a child…!! She was the one who drove me to take up dancing!” You gave a large, dazzling grin, only to watch as Neela sighed a bit sadly, and cast her eyes downward.

“Yes, she was…an inspiration to say the least…” She murmured, and you saw her eyes gain a watery sheen to them. Oh, shit, please don’t let you be the one who makes a diamond _CRY. _You probably would never be able to work again. “…It’s…odd. I’ve never heard your name before tonight…and…truly, I had been expecting…someone we were a bit more familiar with.”

‘Pearl. You can say Pearl.’ You thought with a bit of a quirk to your lips, taking to clasping your hands in your lap as the first course was brought out to the guests. Soup. Easy enough, right? As your was placed in front of you, you finally took notice of the table setting in front of you.

So, needless to say, while you’re family wasn’t struggling all the time…You had _Never_ had to learn which forks to use. Or spoons. Who needs more than one knife!? Well, tonight, you were working with all the above. Hopefully…you could bluff your way through this. Improv was part of your job wasn’t it?

You looked up as there was a clinking from across the table, only to see Spinel was absently tapping a spoon on the table as she was speaking, glancing over to you with a sideways grin when Yellow was distracted with speaking to one of the servers.

Oh, thank god. So, she wasn’t a complete bitch after all.

You picked up the corresponding spoon on your end, just as Neela began to speak again.

“Mm…and now that I think about it….” She looked at you, near accusatorially. “I don’t think…I’ve ever seen you billed as an actress in a film…” You throw your eyes to the table, where the place card with your name on it sat.

“U-uhh…umm…ha! Well, I’ve…mostly done bit parts, but…I’m…hoping to be staring in my first feature film…!” You punctuated your decision to stop speaking before you let something slip by tasting the soup that had just been brought. You glanced from the corner of your eye to Blue Diamond, anxiously trying to gauge every minute change in her reaction. Which…well, for now just seemed sad. You imagined…it would be that way for quite some time now.

“Ah…is that so…? What sort of film?” There was a cautious curiosity about her. You stiffened a bit more…as White Diamond’s eyes slid your way. Whether she was listening or not, you weren’t sure, but just her gaze was enough to shake your resolve a bit. You took a shaking breath, in and out.

“A-a musical!!” You blurted that far louder than you meant to, but it didn’t seem to matter, as a heated debate over the validity of animation in the film industry was breaking out further down the table, something Spinel decided she was more interested in.

“Oh…Pink…always loved musicals…” Blue crooned, dropping her head a bit. Ah, this might be it…this would be your in! You had to go for it, while she was open!! “We took her to see so many of them when she was little…”

“R-right!! Well, that’s…part of the reason I was the one who came here tonight!!” You told her, which…now pulled Jauna’s attention as well.

All of the diamonds…were looking at you.

Wasn’t this what you wanted?

…Why did it feel so…awful?

“Um…well…y-you see…” You felt frozen. Like your heart was seizing up in your chest, and your mouth was struggling with the simplest of syllables. Not…a good lead for a lead actress. “With…all the shake up that’s happened…um…Crystal Films is…struggling, financially…and…and we were hoping to…reach out to you. Break bread, you know? Try and…move on together. We um…want to make a joint feature.”

Silence.

They were staring at you with varying levels of amusement, and confusion. Finally, Jauna let out a laugh, one that rumbled from her chest, and into yours. It was…jarring, and cruel, and you felt your heart crack a bit under the pressure. “You expect _us _to…what, fund this little venture? Let Crystal Films go under! It’s caused us nothing but trouble. A source of competition out of the way? Please, say that you’re joking.”

“I uh, well….no-“

“And you certainly don’t expect us to blindly sign to a project with the vague description of a ‘musical’ from a no name actress, with fake diamond earrings now, do you?” Gwynette gave you a smile, full of the finest venom. “You have been nothing but a thorn in our side. Good riddance, I say.”

Your hand instinctively flew to your ear, turning over the suspect earring between your fingers near protectively. You felt like you were going to cry. Oh, god…oh no oh no, not here! Not in front of every big name and company and studio and diamond-!

“Wait…! I…” All eyes turned to the source of the protest. Neela… “…this…this was important to her. This…this meant everything to Pink- to Rose…these people, and this studio, and…I can’t just let it…die, without a word!”

You all stared at her now, trying to figure out…what this meant. Had they ever been at odds? You couldn’t imagine it…they always presented such a perfect image…

“Neela. Please. Be rational, for once. This is what took Pink _away-“ _

“No, Jauna, it isn’t! No, this…this is what made her happy! It’s…it’s all that we have left of her, and we have a chance to help it, and…we’re going to let it pass us by, again…?”

You sat awkwardly as the two glared at each other, looking up as a waiter took your near untouched soup bowl, and replaced it with a salad that would also go mostly untouched. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, White spoke.

“Well, I’m all for this…_studio, _if you can even call it that, going under. With it gone, we move back into a first billing position again.”

“Is…is that all this is to you? About what number our films are announced at? Not…not Pink, or her studio, or why she left?!” Blue demanded, slamming her fist onto the table, causing a plate to clatter, and attention to be drawn. You sank.

“Neela. _Enough._” Yellow hissed, as though she didn’t just smack her own palm onto the table as she said this.

After another few minutes of them communicating near silently, Gwynette cleared her throat.

“Well. That is quite enough now, isn’t it?” She sent a glare to both of the other two, who turned away, finding anything else to focus their attention on. “With all that said, I feel as though it goes without saying…we are not interested in your project.” She said this with a cheery smile, as though it did not stab you straight through the heart.

The bottom seemed like it fell out from underneath you.

You…failed. This was it then? Everyone was trusting you to make this work, and…you didn’t. You had all of it on your shoulders, and it…didn’t work.

“…Please…please excuse me.”

You stumbled out of your chair, not caring anymore if you made a fool of yourself. It scraped along the floor, and you nearly slammed into Jauna’s attendant as you hurried towards the general direction of the bathroom, hearing an annoyed ‘Excuse me!’ as you pushed your way there.

You ran in, closed the door and locked it behind you, before sliding down the door and dissolving into tears. You hiccuped, and cried, and if you were alone, you would have screamed. This was humiliating. It was soul crushing. Not just for you, but for all of your friends….your new family was going to be split apart, all because…you couldn’t sway the diamonds to your side.

…this was all your fault…

~~~~

“Peeearrrrl…” You called as you came into the office, considerably intoxicated, and your heels in one hand. Your makeup was smeared all over your face, and you were still sniffling through your words. The party had continued on for another few hours, and you finally emerged, if only to retrieve copious amounts of alcohol, and retreat to where no one could see you.

It was now quite late in the evening, or early in the morning, depending on how you looked at it, and you were shambling into the main office of the studio, where you and Pearl had agreed to meet afterwards. Lucky for you, she was still wide awake, humming softly as she organized papers, and reshuffled a few things, perking up at the sound of your voice.

“Ah, there you are! Perfect- Oh, my goodness, what happened to you…?” She hurried over to look you over, initially fearing something had happened. Well…something had, but…not what she was worried about.

“I’m so sorry…I’m s-s-s-s-soo sorrrryy, Peaaarl…it’s all my fault! I couldn’t do it, I c-couldn’t make it work, no matter how h-h-hard I tried…” You hiccupped, wrapping your arms around her and pulling her tight, much to her surprise. She patted your back, giving a bit of a laugh before pulling back to look at you, running makeup and all.

“What on earth are you talking about? I just got off the phone with Blue Diamond herself…! And…well, we’ve got a deal!! We’re meeting tomorrow to talk over the details, and-“

“WHAT?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! longest chapter yet, but in all honestly, with just the one scene happening for most of the story, it didn't seem that long. I really liked this one! It flowed well, and expect more of petty White Diamond in the future. Just note, their human names and Diamond names will be used interchangeably, however, if people like one or the other more, leave a comment, and I will use those more commonly.
> 
> Yellow Diamond - Jauna  
Blue Diamond - Neela  
White Diamond - Gwynette
> 
> Until then, Starlight!


	4. Breaking Into Society (1923)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that you've got the pitch, it's time to hammer out a deal. But every deal comes with its stipulations...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Starlight!!
> 
> Wowww it's been a little while. To completely level with you, these last couple of weeks have been wildly busy, and really hard. Between working backstage for a show at my school, studying for a huge test I've got, and helping with my school festival, I've barely had time to breathe, let alone write! But it's finally done!!

Breaking into Society (1923) Starring Bull Montana and Florence Gilbert, and directed by Hunt Stromberg

The next morning found you hungover, tired, and so anxious that you couldn’t sit still, resulting in you being simultaneously so wired that you couldn’t sit still, and so sick you worried that you might void the contents of your stomach at any moment. Needless to say, you showed up at the studio looking horrible.

“God, how much did you even have last night?” Lapis asked, giving you a side long look as you took a seat in the dressing room.

“Ugh…I don’t know…I lost count. I was just trying to forget the fact that I embarrassed myself…and then left in the middle of dinner. And then cried in the bathroom for an hour.” You grumbled, letting out a sharp hiss as she flipped the switch for the vanity lights, nearly blinding you and making your headache worse in the process. “Aaah…fuuck watch it! You’re gonna make me throw up…”

“Sorry.” She wasn’t.

In truth…maaaybe you deserved it. You came home the previous night more than a little rowdy, then woke her up by jumping on her bed to announce that you’d gotten the deal through somehow. How much of it was actually understandable? You had no clue. Either way, she had to get up, somehow wrestle you out of your dress, and into bed, in the middle of the night. But she paid you back when she got up for work this morning, dragging you out of bed to head to the studio. After today, you’d be even.

“Just…ahh, come here, let me do your make up. You look like a train wreck…” She pulled your chair her way, starting to try and clean you up so that you could go meet Garnet and Peal.

“Oooh, wow, how nice of you~ I could get used to this…” You teased, leaning back in your seat like the Primadonna you were. She smacked you maybe a little harder than necessary with the puff brush, leaving a circular splotch on your cheek.

“There, you’re all done!”

“Wait, nooo!! Come back, I’m sorry!”

~~~~

A half hour later, you were in a car on the way to Diamond Productions, Pearl driving, Garnet seated beside her, and you in the back, with your make up fixed, and hair pulled back.

“I don’t know what you said to make them change their minds, but quite literally right before you opened the door, I had just gotten off the phone with Blue Diamond. She seemed quite interested in the project…if you hadn’t told me what happened, I never would have guessed that you had any trouble at all…” She left the unspoken question hanging in midair between you all.

…Were they serious? They weren’t pulling you around on a string, were they?

The silence remained, stiff and uncomfortable for a long moment until Garnet finally spoke up.

“They wouldn’t do that.”

Pearl took a shuddering breath and shook her head. “How do you know? They could…say quite a few cruel things when I was there, and….I don’t know, it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to turn this into some…joke.” Garnet very gently put her hand on Pearl’s back, and the two took a breath.

“I just know.” She said.

Garnet always did.

The car again fell into silence, but not as uncomfortable as it has been previously. You and Pearl…you both took comfort in what Garnet had to say. She had this air about her. Nothing could shake her. If she said something would be alright, then it would be. You’d joke sometimes that she had to be able to see the future, because there were multiple times where it was certain something would turn out to be a disaster, but she kept her level head, and promised that she say it all working out just fine. Like…well, now for instance. Didn’t you hear something about one of her mom’s being a fortune teller or something…?

Well, before you had enough time to chase that line of thought, the three of you pulled up to the gates of Diamond Productions, Pearl leaning from the driver’s side window to speak to the security guard before your car was allowed to pass through the gates, and into the lot.

“Alright,” Pearl parked, and began stepping from the car as you and Garnet did the same. “You wait here, Garnet and I will go in and find where we need to be, and come back to get you…It’s not that I don’t want you there, I just…” She bit her lips together and took a breath. “I want to assert…that this is my project now, with her gone.” She looked to Garnet, who nodded sagely, and then looked back to you.

“I’ll come back to get you, when we’re about ready to head into the meeting room.” She promised, wrapping her arm to Pearl’s back, and starting to guide her towards the main office building, which left you standing in the parking lot, waiting.

You got sick of that after about thirty seconds.

Instead, you started to wander. Not far, just a bit. There was a courtyard, between the three main buildings that made up the lot, the offices, the studio, and the design stage. It was lovely…fresh, and vibrant, with a fountain in the middle, and a stone bench to the side. And…roses, actually. You made a soft noise of appreciation, taking in the sound of the running water, and starting to move towards the center.

“Well, if it isn’t Ethel Barrymore.”

You snapped your head around, seeing a familiar face leaning against the wall of the design studio. Spinel. Her hair was now pulled into loose, low pigtails, falling over her shoulders. She wore a loose blouse, with the top button or two undone, thick work gloves tossed over her arm, and black trousers rolled at the ankle. She looked a bit dirty, like she’d just been in the studio herself. Well, she probably had been. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d seen her in a movie… Well, of course she had her signature cigarette hanging from her lips, but the newest addition was a script in her hands.

“What brings you here?” She asked, giving you a glance over her papers.

“Well, if you _must_ know, I have a pitch meeting this morning.” You said rather triumphantly, taking the moment of shock she had as an opportunity to pluck the cigarette from her lips cheekily. “You really shouldn’t smoke these, you know. They make you reek.” Were her cheeks red? “And why are you here today?”

“…I work here?” Ah. Right. Now it was your turn to turn red. “Buuut…I do have a meeting coming up. I’m just taking a break to read over something before then.” She took her cigarette back from you, took a puff, and blew the smoke away from you. At least she was courteous, hm? “Well, congrats, getting that pitch meeting with what a wreck last night was. How much did you have to drink?”

“Not important. What are you looking over?” You tried to change the subject and glance over the top of the script, only for her to hold it to her chest protectively.

“Can’t tell, sorry.”

You frowned.

“Look, if you think I’m going to try and steal the idea or whatever, that’s ridiculous and Crystal Films has more integrity-“

“Woah, woah, calm down. It’s nothing like that…it’s just something that a friend of mine is hoping to pitch, but they’re…having to remain anonymous right now.”

“Oh.” You blanched a bit, feeling like a horse’s ass for making this about some…company rivalry, when she really just wasn’t able to disclose anything yet. “Right, sorry, um…”

“Nah, don’t be. I get it.”

You opened your mouth to say something else, only to jump when a hand was placed on your shoulder.

“There you are,” Ah, okay, Garnet. “We’re just about ready to start…are you coming?” You looked up to her, and nodded, before raising your hand towards Spinel in goodbye, and turning to follow your friend toward the middle building.

“…So, what was that?” She murmured to you, a sly grin splitting her lips. You swatted at her arm.

“Nothing! Really, she’s just someone…who helped me out last night.” You promised, though Garnet kept that grin on her lips the entire way to where Pearl was waiting.

It was a long, quiet hallway, with mosaic tiled floor that clicked as you over it. It seemed like it absorbed all the light, natural or otherwise, leaving it…unnaturally dark, and cold. Pear was standing on the right wall, a hand over her mouth as she considered all that she needed to say. And she looked…worse for wear. You couldn’t imagine being back here after so long away was pleasant, especially under...these circumstances. Garnet hurried to her side after that, placing both her hands around Pearl’s, and pulling her into a huddle. You knew that position well.

She was amazing at talking to you. She knew just how to make you feel better, honestly…She had this…low tone she’d use, that her words were for you, and just for you. She’d get in close, often even rest her forehead against yours, taking off her sunglasses so you could look right into her eyes, and she could look back. There was nothing quite like it. At least, not that you’d found yet.

“Ahem-“ The three of you snapped up as a throat was cleared. Ah, it was that…girl who introduced Jaune the night before. “If you are quite _done, _you may call me Daisy. Yellow Diamond sent me to tell you she’s ready for you. Best not to keep her waiting.”

“Right. Thank you, Daisy.” Pearl perked up, and straightened her collar, before letting Daisy motion you all forward to the end of the hall, where the door sat open. She stepped aside, but you couldn’t help seeing the look of malice in her face as her eyes met Pearls.

You quickly decided that was none of your business and shuffled your way into the large office, in between the two members of your entourage. You did what you could to keep your eyes trained on the ground at first, as you slipped into the chair provided. Only then did you finally look across the table to see Jaune and Neela, Yellow and Blue Diamond, sitting and looking at the three of you…rather expectantly.

After a beat of silence…Pearl finally cleared her throat. She was…sitting tall, like a wooden board was pressed to her back. She radiated this…strong energy that you found you…craved, more than anything. You wished you had that composure. “Thank you for seeing us, on such short notice.” She crossed her legs, very calmly reaching into her back in order to pull out some of her documentation for the meeting.

“No, of course…we called the meeting.” Neela said, giving Jaune an elbow when she said nothing.

“…Right. Thank you.” She muttered, rather peeved about the situation. She was glaring daggers at…well. All of you, honestly. “We are prepared to…_negotiate _possible terms for a contract. This isn’t guaranteed. We reserve the right to walk away at any point that we feel this project might be a detriment to our studio.”

“And we wholeheartedly understand.” Pearl gave a dazzling customer service smile. You imagined she learned that here, actually. “We only want what’s best for our studio, like you do for yours. And we’re prepared to make that happen.” She started moving documents onto the table, showing the terms that she was listing out.

Diamond Studios was to fund the project, and have a directorial, and editorial role in it’s outcome.

Crystal Films was to recruit, film, cut, and dress the project, with actors from their own studio.

Crystal films was to compose for the film, with input from Diamond Studios.

The project would be released primarily under Diamond Studios’ label, their studio billing as the creators, with Crystal Films keeping a slightly larger portion of the funding.

“We are well aware that your fame has been…struggling as of late. This would bring attention back to your studio…and allow us to remain in business while other projects are underway.” Pearl finished, lightly folding her hands in her lap. You glanced to Garnet, as though looking for an answer. However, her face was blank, and unreadable. She didn’t want to be here, as much as you, or Pearl.

“Yes, yes, fine…but we have one other stipulation.” Jaune slipped the agreements back to Pearl, and nodded to Neela.

“We would like to submit our own actor for a leading role.”

The room went quiet. Your blood went cold. Of course that was the stipulation. Of course they wanted to replace you. You made a fool of yourself last night. Your body went rigid, and your felt Garnet clasp your hand.

It was going to be okay. It had to be. It was going to be okay…

“With all due respect,” Garnet had a bite to her words. “We’ve already got a lead actress. Thanks.”

“Then I’m afraid the deal is off-“ Jaune was interrupted by the door of the office opening.

“Hey J, ya wanted-“ The voice of the intruder died on her lips, as Spinel poked her head in and saw that, not only were the Diamonds in a meeting, but the meeting was with _you. _“Oh, uhh…Sorry, I’ll be-

“No. Come in, Spinel.” Neela motioned her forward, to the empty chair at her right.

“Uhh…yeah, okay.” She shuffled in, and closed the door behind her awkwardly, making her way to the empty seat and dropping herself into it. She looked…so out of place in comparison. She was small, and the Diamonds towered over her…her face was streaked with grime from working in the prop shop, and she was still wearing her work gloves…not exactly fit for a meeting with the heads of your company.

“Now, as I was saying, We’re choosing the lead, or else this project is over.”

“Now…may I submit something? We’re doing a romance…that technically means two leads…!” Pearl reminded. “It would ensure that both you, and our studio get near equal screen time…we’d break even, and it would still be associated with your studio…how’s that?” Pearl asked, some of that composure having worn away slightly at the notion that, without their choosing the lead, this might all come crumbling down.

You were holding your breath as Blue and Yellow diamond silently deliberated.

Neela gave her a slight nod, and Jaune made an aggravated noise of disapproval. “…Fine. A romance with a lead from both studios with suffice…but especially with an actress from our studio, we _will _leave the project if we determine that it does not suit our interests, is that clear?” She demanded, and you nodded sharply as though it was your decision at all.

“With that said…” Neela calmed the situation slightly, she glanced to Spinel, with the barest hint of a smile. “We would like to submit Spinel as our choice in lead.”

The room was deathly still for a moment, before Spinel launched up from her seat. “Woah woah woah, me!? Like, Spinel, right here, me!?” She looked back and forth between the Diamonds, as though someone was going to admit that they were pulling a cruel joke on her. Blue looked on with a slight smile, as Yellow motioned for her to be seated once again.

“Yes, you. We figure it is far past time that you re-emerge into the world. You cannot sit back forever, waiting for the time to be right…” Blue crooned softly, and you got the image that…she was not only speaking about the current film.

Finally, your eyes met hers, and she just had this…look of shock, as though the rest of the world had fallen away, and she was left floating with the information she had just been given.

“Well…that’s settled then…!!” Pearl clapped her hands together. “Should we…agree on the deal?” She offered her hand to Jauna first, though it was Neela instead who took it, and gave it a firm shake.

“We are agreed…and I will send a contract to you as soon as it is finished.” Jauna said, still not moving to shake Pearl’s hand. It seemed she wouldn’t be, either. “That will be all, thank you.” Jauna motioned for you to leave, and you opened your mouth to say something, only to feel Garnet’s hand on your shoulder again.

This wasn’t the time.

It was time to go.

“Thank you my-…” Pearl trailed off as she reached the doorframe, turning back to the women. “…Thank you, for seeing us.”

With that, the door clicked shut behind her. She stood, just outside the doorway, head slightly lowered, taking everything in. In the back of your mind, you could hear the soft chatter as Spinel and the diamonds began to speak again.

“…Well then,” Pearl said, finally lifting her head with a grin. “Let’s make a movie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright!! So, chapter finally done!! I'm hoping to get onto a more regular schedule, however, I maaaay be starting a second story!! If I do, I will alternate between this story, and the other. I'll let you know how that works!!
> 
> Until then, Starlight!


	5. The Dancin' Fool (1920)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Making a movie takes a whole lot of work. Making a musical, even more so. First challenge? Couples dance lessons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Starlight,
> 
> I'M BAAAACK!!
> 
> Guess who's home from study abroad!
> 
> And also in quarantine! It's ME!
> 
> So, I'm finally getting the chance to pick this back up again, and let me tell you, I have SO many ideas!! Thank you all so much for being patient, and I hope you enjoy what I've got for you this time!

The Dancin' Fool (1920) Directed by Sam Wood and starring Wallace Reid and Bebe Daniels

The next week after that first meeting was a flurry of activity. If you weren’t at the studio, you were home, sleeping, so you could be back at the studio in just a few hour’s time. Measurements for costumes were taken, table readings were held, music tests were attempted, and through all of this, you found yourself constantly at Spinel’s hip. Or…was she at yours? You supposed that was a more apt description, seeing how this was _your_ home turf, your studio, your backyard…that made you queen, now, didn’t it. One thing you hadn’t been prepared for in your first steps as a leading lady, however, was dancing lessons.

Oh, you could dance, make no mistake. Your history and repertoire was extensive, and varied. Anything they wanted, you could do! Except…well…now you have another variable to be concerned with. Couple dancing. That meant you were only as strong as your weakest link, and right now, Spinel was a very, very weak link…

“And five, six, seven, eight!” Garnet called, clapping with each number as Greg began to play again. The tune was only the piano, for now, since they’d yet to record the band, but that was all you needed for rehearsal. Besides, this was less for the movie, and more for Garnet to see where you both stood. Could she do tricks with you two? What was your chemistry? What needed work? At her call, your hands found their perch on Spinel’s shoulders, and hers fell to your waist. The combination was very, very simple, in your eyes. Jazzy, and upbeat, the two of you spun twice, leapt left, leapt right, then Spinel spun you into a dip.

Child’s play.

And Spinel was a big baby, apparently.

Her movements were surprisngly stiff, and you found yourself having to lead, despite that being the exact opposite of what the song called for. She was taller than you. You needed her to dip you. So far today you’ve been dropped…ohhh…three times? And once, she lead you both straight into a wall. So as the two of you began again, you could see the frustration beginning to build in her. You couldn’t blame her. You were getting rather frustrated yourself. She spun once, then twice. Okay, not bad! Then a third time, uh oh. And then she leapt right, instead of left, realized her mistake, leapt right a second time to try and right the balance as well as keep up with you, then finally came the spin-

She dropped your hand.

Without her to ground you, you spun out, taking the both of you down with a grunt. The woman below you let out a loud note of frustration, slamming a balled fist into the wood of the dance floor. She all but threw you off of her, as Garnet spoke up.

“We’ll take a ten minute break, then try again…maybe something simpler.”

Something simpler? You picked yourself up and stomped your foot in a huff. This was disgraceful. You didn’t work so hard all this time, just to finally get a leading role and have it _ruined_ by some silver spoon fed diamond-wannabe who couldn’t carry a single step in time if she’d been dancing on a clock! You shot a look Greg’s way, and threw up your hands. He shrugged sympathetically and stood, giving his back a pop as he did.

“Hey, I’m gonna take a bit too. Steven’s in the greenroom with Pearl, and I wanna check up on him.”

“Take all the time you need, Greg, we’ll still be here.” Garnet said this without at all looking up from the list of songs she held in her hand, obviously trying to formulate a better plan with how Spinel’s test run came out.

You took a deep breath, and, deciding you needed some air, followed Greg out the doors of the dance studio. You spotted Spinel leaning against a side wall in the shade, yet another cigarette between her lips, striking at the lighter in her hands with a vengeance. You grit your teeth. You could just…walk away. Take a walk, get some air, and come to terms with the fact that your big dance number in your break out role is going to be a real simple two-step.

…But you know what? Fuck that. No, you were taking this head on. If she wasn’t good enough to keep up, she could step out now.

“What the hell was that?” You demanded as you stomped her way, your feet having a dull, but satisfying ache from the taps of the heels on hard pavement.

“Dancin’. What’d it look like?” She didn’t meet your eye. Instead, her magenta ones found purchase elsewhere. Despite her frustration, her anger was…muted, for the moment.

“It _looked_ like you floundering. Like you couldn’t follow a simple rhythm! I’ve seen children with better time than you!” Her grip increased on the lighter, and you swore you saw the metal dent, ever so slightly. You sensed you were approaching a line… “I’ve seen you dance before! You were great in Rose’s Garden!” There it was. “What happened to that!?” Let’s steamroll over the line, now.

“What happened to that? Oh, I was SEVEN, and had been raised in front of a camera! Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me right now!? I haven’t been in a film in years! Not since-“ She stopped, abruptly, and bit her lips together. Again she averted her gaze, but…for the moment that you’d seen her eyes, you’d seen…a lot of hurt. “Just cut me some slack, huh? It’s been a while. I’m rusty.”

“Rusty?! No, that wasn’t rusty, that was completely inflexible!! That was- Ugh, I don’t even know, but it was awful!” Somewhere, in the back of your mind, you sensed yourself letting your anger completely take over, but…at this point, you couldn’t stop yourself. “You have no idea how hard I worked for this-!”

“I have no idea?! Listen bitch, you have no idea!! You have no idea how hard I’ve worked my whole damn life, not to be thought of as Rose’s little follower! Her little playmate, followin’ her around, and crackin’ a stupid joke, with no fuckin’ depth! That’s all I ever was! And do ya hear this voice!? DO YOU? AIN’T EXACTLY LEADIN’ LADY QUALITY!” She stopped for a moment, breathing hard, and pulling absently at one of her pigtails in what you assumed was an effort to calm herself down. Angry tears pricked in her eyes. She took a quick, deep drag from her cigarette, ruining it in the process. You found yourself…staring, as she crushed it under her boot heel. “So I’ve got one shot. One. That’s it. You got your studio, all willin’ to run to support ya. ‘Golly Gee, ya movie didn’t work out? What a shame. We’ll make another!’ Nah. This is it. This is it, or I’m out.” Silence now hung in between the two of you, and you hugged your arms awkwardly. “So yeah. Rusty.”

“…Look,” You weren’t quite sure where you were even going with this yet. “Maybe this is your only shot. Maybe it is. Which is why you can’t hold anything back!! Just…cut it loose! If you mess up, make it your own, but you’re so nervous right now, so up in your own head, that no matter what you do in there, it all comes out like a robot doin’ the shuffle, so you need to get your act together, get your head out of the dumps, and come back down to the studio. We’ll be making a movie, whenever you can grace us with your presence.”

Harsh, you supposed…but judging by her silence as you walked away, it was what she needed to hear.

And…maybe you needed to hear it too. Giving advice was always easier than taking it.

You met back up with Garnet, who was going over sheet music with Greg. She gave you a raised eyebrow, and you knew, she was wondering where Spinel was. You just shrugged, and took to a stretching bar, like you were trying to pretend you weren’t so full of emotion that it hurt. Another ten minutes passed…and the door opened again.

Spinel stood there, maybe holding herself just a little taller than before, chin just a little higher. With a breath, she took off her gloves, and dusted her hands. She opened her mouth to say something, but Garnet just held up a hand with a knowing look and a smile. “I was going to show you a new, easier combination…but something tells me you’ve got this.”

Spinel nodded furiously. “Just lemme try it one more time!”

“As much as you want.” Your instructor promised, replacing the sheet music on the piano, and turning to face the two of you.

And with that promise, Spinel strode up to you, gait strong and with purpose. And you tried to pretend that it didn’t make you feel something. You had no room to explore that, right now, save it for the set. She held her hand out to you. And you took it. Something about her was a little different now. She held you a bit more firmly, and her eyes were focused more on you, than on her feet. Atta Girl.

“Five, six, seven, eight!”

One spin,

Then two,

Hop left, then right,

Spin,

Dip.

Before you really even knew what was happening, you found yourself looking up at Spinel, your arms around her neck as she dipped you low. But you’d done it…you both had! She stood you back up…and you stared at one another for a long moment, before she let out a whoop and pulled you into a tight hug, spinning you around.

“I got it!! I did it!!” She hollered, now practically bouncing from the walls of the dance studio. You took a step to the side with a half smile, then glanced to Garnet, who gave you a thumbs up.

Looks like you two were over the first hurdle, at last…just…ohh…a million more to go.


	6. Playmates (1921)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With production beginning to pick up the pace, and being on a smooth roll, some...overlooked information comes out around Spinel, and Rose...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Starlight,
> 
> New chapter!! This is one I've had in my head since the beginning, and I'm really excited to finally get it down on paper. I hope you enjoy!

Playmates (1921) Directed anonymously, and starring Baby Peggy

After that first dance lesson, things started to pick up the pace. In a month, the script had been hammered out, most of the songs were ready, and you two were even starting to film the first scenes! It was your standard musical fare, really. It was a love story, of course, Pearl wasn’t kidding when she said those were popular. And you two hated each other at first, then you didn’t, then you loved each other, but wouldn’t say anything, and then _finally_ the both of you moved your asses and professed to one another. All that jazz. And if interest was anything to go by, this was going to be a hit.

The word had spread that Crystal Films and Diamond Productions were going to be doing a film together. Whispers of mergers, and make ups, conspiracy theories all around. Something about how Rose wasn’t actually dead, or that the studio had her head…frozen? Or something? Utterly ridiculous, but you found you couldn’t help but laugh, just a bit! But nevertheless, buzz was growing, to the point where you were having to be escorted from one place to the other, and back again, in order to keep the secrecy intact. You supposed it helped that you were relatively unknown. Spinel, too. If you didn’t watch Rose’s Garden religiously, like you had, you doubted anyone would recognize her a good dozen or more years later.

You could probably count on one hand the number of days you’d had off, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. This was exciting! You could feel the energy of it all, radiating from your friends and crew in droves. And as you stepped onto the soundstage for the morning, whatever fatigue you had was gone. It was off you like a cloak.

“There’s the big star!” Bismuth called from her place on top of the scaffold, raising a hand in greeting, with a grin splitting her face. You gave her a grin, and a big wave back.

“Bissie!! Hey, have you seen-“

“Yeah, don’t worry about her, Spinel’s in the greenroom, waiting for ya!” She called, giving you a knowing wink. Rather than attract more attention, or worse…confirm her suspicion, you flushed, thanked her, and went scuttling off towards the off-stage area.

It’d be…probably another half-hour or so, before filming began, if Bismuth was still working on the set. Perfect…you…well, you loathed to admit it, but a little bit of chat time with Spinel is just what you wanted. It was something the two of you didn’t have much of…which was…interesting. When you’re on a set, you get to know everyone so well! You really feel in tune with them, like you know everything about them, but…when you took a step back and really thought about it…you know _nothing_ about who Spinel is now. You know her from childhood, and all her lines, and steps, but…that was a character. You know she’s close with the diamonds, but the capacity of that is a mystery. In reality…as much as you like to think that the two of you are close now, and over the hump of unfamiliarity, you know…nothing, about her life, her circumstance, her…anything, beyond the character she used to portray.

…and from her reactions to the material, you got the feeling much of that was now inaccurate, if it had ever been to begin with. So it was time to reintroduce herself…maybe you could get her to open up a little! You were more than willing to supply some information of your own, if that’s what it took.

You stepped off the sound stage, and young yourself face to face with the heavy wood door, gently emblazoned with “Greenroom, cast only please!” In a script you recognized as Pearl’s handwriting. After knocking, and hearing a distracted ‘come in,’ you pushed it open.

The room was modest. It held a table, with around six chairs, for everyone to eat at, and two couches that faced each other on the left wall, with a low table in the middle. Plenty of room for a main cast, and then some. There, on the couch facing the door, was Spinel, a pencil between her lips as she looked over the script in her hands. You smiled.

“Hey there!” You announced, causing her to look up, and offer back a smile of her own. And that…ohh, that did things to your heart you weren’t prepared to admit.

“Hey! They need us yet?” She asked, moving to stand when you shook your head, and held up a hand.

“Nah, Bismuth is finishing up this set. I’d say we’ve got…half an hour, maybe? Full hour, tops.” You dropped yourself into a sitting position on the couch opposite her, reclining comfortably, as she resumed her position, and looked back down to her script. While you appreciated her dedication…the nosy side of you was _begging_ to get some information on her. “So…uhh…” You racked your brain for a way to get into this without being too obvious, or upsetting her. “You…seemed pretty close with the Diamonds! What’s with that?” Yup…flawless…tactful as always.

She bit down on the pencil suddenly in shock, nearly sending it flying. “Oh- uh…” While she looked startled, she didn’t look…upset, so you were willing to take that. “Well, umm…they’re sorta…family? I guess? They took me in when I was real little, and I just kinda…stuck around. They’re sorta like aunts, I guess, you know? Or like…moms? I dunno. But they always looked out for me, and I don’t have anywhere else to go, so…I stayed.” She shrugged, and penciled something on her script. Alright…that was a start! But…maybe you needed to go a little easier from there on…that was dangerous ground. You were _finally_ on good terms with her, and you didn’t want to ruin it, just because your curiosity was killing you.

“Mmmh…you know, I was raised by my mom too…” You put out there, bringing your legs up onto the couch with you. “My dad…well uh…he and my mom didn’t always get along. And he tried, he really did, but when I was…uhh…maybe…ten, or so? He walked out on us. I mean, I was lucky, my mom is really skilled, and she’d just gotten a job at a good hospital, so we were okay, but…it was…rough, you know? One day he was there, and the next, he just…wasn’t.” You looked down, and gave a shrug. “In all honestly…it was a long time ago. But…sometimes I think about it…I think about…what I could have done, or not done, that might have gotten him to stay…maybe he was just…bored with having a family. He and my mom got together really young, so…he settled into a job, and stayed there, and maybe he wanted more…”

You finally brought your eyes up to meet Spinel’s, and she looked back at you with a level of intensity you’d yet to see from her. What set this apart? Her eyes weren’t…hard. They weren’t angry…they looked…rather sad. But they were now searching yours, intently searching for a sign of validity to the statements you’d just made. She was debating something, you could tell, thinking it over, making a decision….

“He just…left ya, huh?” She asked. And you nodded. It was the truth. Whatever she was searching for, you were telling the truth. She bit her lips together, opened her mouth, then closed it. A long, long moment of silence passed between you, broken only by the distant din of the work on set. “…I got left, too…couple times, actually.” She admitted, finally setting her script down. The drama lover in you keened. Finally, you were getting somewhere. “I uh…I got picked up by the diamonds, because…because I got tossed out. I was little, too…real small, real little. And uh…my mom, she got…sick…an’…an’ I guess she kinda knew that…her end was comin’? I don’t remember much about her. Just that…she sang, sometimes. So she…made me leave. Somethin’ about not wantin’ me to see her like that.”

So I wandered a while…couple ‘a months, maybe? Three, tops. An’ one day, I just…I got so, so lucky…”You saw Spinel preen, the smallest bit, tilting her head up, and letting a sad smile cross her lips. “I was in a ritzier part of town. Probably shouldn’t have been, I’m sure I’d been chased outta there a couple times, but…man, that’s where the deepest pockets are, and they see a little kid? All alone? They’re willin’ to try and help. But…there was this…girl…probably just a little older ‘n me, and she comes up to me…she’s wearin’ the cutest tutu, an’ she’s got her hair all done, and…and…” She passed to wipe at her eyes. “She…_Rose_ asked me…if I was alone. An’ I said yes…an’ she said… ‘You wanna come to my house for lunch?’ And…I shrugged, and took her hand, and she lead me back to the other diamonds and I remember…for a little girl who’d been so alone, for so long…? They looked like angels. Took a little convincing, but Rose threw a tantrum, and wouldn’t quit until they agreed to at least take me in for a day, an’…then they found out I could dance, and….and they took me in. Adopted me, I guess, like…like somethin’ straight out of one’a the movies we made…”

You stared at her, slackjawed, as she continued to rub at her eyes. Man, so a real lucky streak then…? If it hadn’t been for them…who knew where she might be. Your heart ached a little, and you very gently reached out to put your hand on hers. No words, just the comfort of someone else being there… She offered you a smile…but it dropped soon after.

“We were so happy…so happy…or I mean…I thought we were…? Then…after a lil’ while, Rose said she didn’t wanna do the Garden show anymore, an’…she wanted more serious roles. Well, the Diamonds said she wasn’t ready, and if she wasn’t, I definitiely wasn’t…so we floated around a while…and then…one day, she was just…” She made a motion in the air, with her hand, like a bubble popping “gone. Just like that, it was all gone… An, hell! I’ve been here a month, and she hasn’t even shown up to see me! Hasn’t said hello-“

Your world stopped.

Ohh…oh no…

She didn’t…she didn’t know? How did she not, it was all over the place, and the Diamonds-

…the Diamonds didn’t tell her, either, apparently…

  
You had a moment’s pause, as you considered this. Was…it really your place to tell her? You weren’t anyone special to her. Just a co-worker, in the long run. But…it wasn’t fair to leave her like this, not knowing, thinking that…Rose…hated her so much that she wouldn’t even acknowledge her presence….no, you needed to fix this, now.

“Spinel.” Your voice was firm, but your face betrayed how…uncertain you felt. She looked up to you now, blinking back a fresh wave of tears, and your heart leapt into your throat. It would be…so easy just to not say anything. Let her figure it out. She must know something’s up, by now…

But no. You need to do this.

“Um…You…you know why Rose hasn’t been around…right?” Your hand slides from her hand, to gently support her elbow…you’re leaning forward, and into her space, but she doesn’t seem to mind much.

“Well uhh…I mean I was startin’ to think something was up. Why? She leave you too? Typical of her, she goes through all this trouble, has all you nice people on the line, and then she bails! She bails, like she bailed on me, an’ the Diamonds, an’-!”

“Spinel! She’s dead!”

Silence.

Absolute.

Silence.

Time seems to have slowed. Your chest feels tight. The two of you are just staring at one another, trying to gauge reactions…when none have yet to happen.

“Wh…what?”

“…I’m so sorry.”

“What?! No…no!!” Spinel scoffs, but it ends in a choked sob, as suddenly tears come flowing forth. She bonelessly slips from your grip, into the couch, trying to find some energy to laugh, and finding nothing. “She can’t be…dead! I mean, she’s like. My age! She ain’t dead! You’re fucking with me!” She grabbed onto her pigtail again and _yanked. **Hard**._ Your hand flew up to support hers, in an effort to stop her hurting herself. “You’re fuckin’ with me! She probably told you she don’t ever wanna see me again, so now you’re all tryin’ to tell me she’s dead! I woulda heard if she was dead!!” She insisted, trying in vain to Pull at her hair. It was only your hand that stopped it.

“Spinel…spinel, listen to me-“ She sobbed again “Rose…Rose passed away, really suddenly a few months back and there was nothing we could do-“ You tried to soothe her, letting her finally let go of her hair to bury her face in her hands. Mascara ran down her cheeks, through other make up, making a new palette of mess on her cheeks.

“N-n-nothing, you could d-d-do?! Nothing!?” She had nothing else to say, just continued to weep.

You gently lifted yourself, and moved to sit beside her. Your hand rubbed her arm affectionately, and you tried to quell even…even a small bit of the ache she was experiencing. You knew that ache. And you knew that it must feel so much worse for her, not even getting to say goodbye, to make amends…to be the last one to know…

With a gentle coo, you pulled her to you. The only thing that mattered now was comfort. You wrapped your arms around her, guiding her face to the crook of your neck, and hushing her as you rubbed down her back. Your own heart ached for her…longed to do something to make it better, make it easier…fix it.

But you couldn’t. No one could. Least of all you.

After a few full minutes of all out balling, she finally calmed enough…and began to speak again…albeit with a distinct hiccup and catch in her throat. “I always th-thought that…y-y-ya know, sh-she’d come back…a-a-and we’d…we’d talk thing o…out, but…but-!” She let out a long, loud, noise of frustration, somewhere between a groan and another sob. She was hurting…she hurt so badly… “It’s not- It’s not fair! It’s not fair, it’s not fair!! It’s not fair…” She clung to you now, hands making fists in the fabric of your blouse. Which was now make up stained, but you could care less.

“I know it’s not, hon…I know…it’s never fair, when someone leaves so fast…Rose never intended to leave us…it just…happened…the Diamonds didn’t…say anything to you?” You pulled back to look her in the eye.

She sniffled, weakly.

“I…n-no, I mean…they s-started actin’ f-funny, but…but they’ve been actin’ funny since…since she l-left and I just thought-“ She buried her face in you again, holding tighter, like you were the last piece of driftwood…and she was alone in the ocean… “I’m so stupid!! I’m so-so-so stupid, I should’a realized!! I should’a known th-that somethin’ was wrong!! Wh-when Neela wouldn’t s-s-top cryin’ and Jauna sh-shut us out! And Gwyn-!” She sobbed, leaving the sentence there. “I’m so stupid…so stupid…”

“Hey, hey- look at me.” You pulled her back, holding her cheek in one hand. You couldn’t remember the last time you were this close to someone, this open physically, your barriers down, and your only goal being comfort… “You…are not to blame. You are not stupid. This isn’t your fault, Spinel…You…you didn’t know, no one told you, and…well, it’s not your responsibility to hound people for information they don’t feel like giving. This is not your fault…not your fault…” You cooed to her. “Breathe with me, okay?”

In, 2, 3, 4…

Hold…

Out, 2, 3, 4…

The two of you repeated this, in and out, in and out, huddled close as you could be.

Finally, her sobs calmed to hiccups…quiet, sad, mournful hiccups.

“…How did it happen?”

Ah, there was the million dollar question. You’d been hoping she didn’t ask.

“Well um…” you clicked your tongue in thought. “After….she left Diamond productions…she…ummm…she fell in love with…a guy named Greg.” Spinel looked…confused, a moment…but if something bothered her, she didn’t voice it. “And…well, they…had a baby, named Steven, but while Steven was…being born…something happened, and they basically told her…it’s either you, or your son…and she chose her son…” You held her hands in yours, after gently dislodging them from your shirt.

Spinel stared at you, dumbfounded.

“S…son? Like…like…like, she had a b-baby?”

“Yeah…do…you wanna go see him…?”

Your co-star stared at you, then squeezed her eyes shut.

“Me…? Like…like right now?”

You were already standing, pulling her up with you.

“You. Right now. He’s probably in the recording area with his dad…you can meet him too, but…but I think you really need to see him.” You promised, leading her by the hand from the Greenroom, and further down the same hallway, where you could hear the soft strumming of a guitar, and the occasional plinking of piano keys. Knocking on the door earned you a ‘It’s not locked, come on in!’ The door opened to a warmly lit space, littered with instruments of every shape and size. Among it all was Mr. Universe, one hand on the piano, a guitar in his lap, and his foot very gently rocking the bassinet where little Steven slept.

“Heya, perfect timing! I was just hoping to run this one section with you and- holy smokes-!” He couldn’t help stopping short as you led Spinel in, red faced, teary eyed, hiccupping, Spinel.

“Hey…ahh…yeah, now isn’t the best time…we…actually came to meet Steven…! Greg, this is Spinel…Spinel, with is Greg, Rose’s partner.”

“Oh, so you’re Spinel!” He offered a warm smile, and set aside his guitar. “Ya know, Rose told me a lot about you…”

“…s…she did?”

“Yeah! Course she did…you were only like- her best friend growing up, right?” Greg smiled gently, and leaned over to pick up Steven from his crib, little red onesie open around his belly. He cradled the boy, and kissed his head…and something about this movement woke the child from his slumber. He yawned, and squirmed, cooing with delight at new faces. “You wanna hold him?”

Spinel froze at that, looking from the offered child, to you, to his father, and then back to Steven like the baby might explode. “…You...uh…you sure it’s okay?”

“Yeah…go on, he doesn’t bite.” Greg insisted, though he shot you a bit of a look. Basically, if you thought this wasn’t a good idea, stop it now. But you just nodded, and allowed the transfer of the child from one set of arms to another.

Spinel stared at him at first, making a face, obviously coming to terms with this child being…what remained of her dearest friend…however long ago that might have been. Finally, she took to cradling him, and gave a small smile. Steven giggled, and grabbed at her hair, and blew a raspberry.

“Ooh, yeah, we’re in the grabbing things phase,” Greg laughed. “He’ll pick up anything he can get his hands on. He’s a strong little guy, too!”

Spinel just…smiled, letting him grab at her pigtail and wiping at her eye with a free hand.

“He’s…he’s a real cute kid, huh? Hey there, little guy…I’m your Auntie Spinel…”

**Author's Note:**

> PROLOUGE DONE. Finally, only took 6000 years, huh? Well, I did want to talk a bit about my inspiration, which was the relationship between Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The two took the silver screen multiple times, in multiple films as love interests, but actually hated each other behind the scenes, for various reasons. They never had an off-screen relationship, but that part doesn't extend to this story. If you're looking for my direct inspiration, look up their shots from "Swing Time!"
> 
> I'll update this probably weekly, but I am abroad in Japan for school right now, so my schedule is WHACK.
> 
> Until then, Starlight!


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